Now that the deadline for our healthy school lunch recipe contest has come and gone, it's time for the fun to begin: the judging! On Monday night at the New York City Food and Finance High School, over 25 plant-based recipes were prepared and served to a panel of judges that included pastry chef François Payard, NYC public schools executive chef Jorge Collazo, and elementary and high school students. The judges whittled down the entries to ten finalists, which will be cooked and sampled at the Beard House tomorrow evening. Stay tuned for the the results and photos!
Special thanks to our partners, New York Coalition for Healthy School Food, the NYC Office of SchoolFood, Candle Café/79, and the New York City Food and Finance High School, for helping our kids eat well.

Anyone who has a little eater in their life knows it’s challenging to instill them with an appreciation for a healthy meal. It takes a bit of talent and ingenuity to make some green beans appear more finger-licking-good than a carton of french fries.
Think you’re up to the task? We're teaming up with the New York Coalition for Healthy School Food, the NYC Office of SchoolFood, and Candle Café/79 to develop healthy, plant-based, and meatless entrées to be served at NYC public school lunches. If you're a restaurant chef and would like to participate, send a recipe to info@healthyschoolfood.org by November 30. All qualifying entries will be judged by a panel of food experts and discriminating students at the James Beard House, and the winning recipes will be made available to all New York City public schools early next year. Our ultimate goal is to see system-wide inclusion of plant-based